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Characters
Main Cast Leah Broderick Character Description: Leah is a freshman at Belmont majoring in musical theatre. Also from Indiana, Leah is the youngest recurring character in the series. Her naivety and baseless optimism contribute to the show's themes of hope and redemption, and contrast the neurotic tendencies found in the other characters. Leah joined the main cast after meeting Logan on Tinder, and quickly became a fan favorite due to her quirky sense of humor. As the only main character with a car, she plays an important role in transporting the other characters to off-campus locations, particularly the Starbucks where she works. Due to her frequent bouts of illness and injury, she is well-known at the Vanderbilt Medical center. She is almost always shown either knitting or eating an egg & cheese bagel with a glass of grape juice. Tattoos: UFO (inner right bicep), Fig branch (right hip) Will McCollum Character Description: Will is a supersenior at Vanderbilt majoring in anthropology. His origins are unclear, but guesses range from Alabama to Alaska. He is depicted as a dreamer, and is most frequently used to contrast the unrelenting pragmatism of his roommate Camp. He is often seen smoking and wearing a black visor from Vanderbilt Dining. His optimistic tendencies contribute to many of the show's more eccentric and surreal plot arcs, as he is rarely bothered by the impracticality of many of the cast's adventures and consequent hijinks. His philanderous tendencies generate a continuous stream of new characters, and his dialogues with Matt are used as vehicles to explore some of the deeper themes of the series: love, longing and loss. His academic musings provide much of the show's more high-brow humor, and his dad-like yet effeminate traits serve as a middle path between Matt and Logan in exploring traditional notions of masculinity. Perhaps most importantly, his love for and extensive knowledge of coffee serves as the foundation for the show's coffee motif. Tattoos: Outline of Uzbekistan (inner left bicep), Salmon (right forearm), "Memory revises me." (left side of chest), Anchor (right foot) Matt Miller Character Description: Matt is a senior majoring in biology and philosophy at Vanderbilt. Born in Kentucky, Matt is characterized as being both narcissistic and uncomfortably self-deprecating. While his depressive tendencies drive many of the show's plot points, his search for love and personal fulfillment—which materialize in a series of romantic escapades that contribute to his emotional state and broader character arc—also contributes significantly to the progression of the narrative. His character also provides comic relief through his feminine nature and extensive use of black humor, which is employed frequently as a foil to Logan's masculine indifference and Leah's sunny demeanor. Other notable details include his vegetarian diet, apparent need to document everything, and love of "obscure" rap music. Tattoos: "The Optimist" (inner left bicep), Campfire (inner right ankle), Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers (left calf) Logan Wilke Character Description: Logan is a junior majoring in sociology with minors in English and corporate strategy at Vanderbilt. After taking a year off to work on an organic grape farm in California, he returned to Nashville, finding employment at a local coffee shop. As the head of Vanderbilt's radio station, his character is used as a vehicle to deliver much of the show's commentary and criticism of popular culture, both of music and art more broadly. Episodes discussing Logan's bulking, general perfectionism, and pursuit of corporate success also serve to counter some of the attitudes found in the other characters. However, some critics have argued that Logan is in fact an ironic caricature of ideas he embodies and that the portrayal of these aspects of Logan's character are satirical criticisms—rather than endorsements—of capitalism, traditional notions of masculinity, and related facets of American culture. Through references to his corporate ambitions and social media savvy, Logan continually demonstrates a commitment to personal branding, evidenced most notably by his identification with Patrick Bateman as well as by the tattoo of his Twitter handle (@logalw) on his leg. Tattoos: Corn (inner right bicep), "Do I dare to eat a peach?" (left side of chest), "@logalw" (front of right thigh), Anchor (left ankle) Auxiliary Cast Douglas A minor yet critical recurring character, Douglas is a sophomore tentatively majoring in English and History at Vanderbilt. They were born in Southern California; it is never confirmed whether they are from Compton or Torrance. Douglas is never actually seen on camera due to their taking the semester off, and is only seen via social media such as Twitter and more frequently Tumblr. There is also speculation that the actor portraying Douglas dropped out at the last minute due to poor working conditions, necessitating hasty rewrites and assignment of their lines to either other characters or social media services. Perhaps unintentionally, the character of Douglas serves as a metaphor for the the illusory nature of reality: while Matt, Logan, and some other recurring characters have fond memories of them, Leah has never heard of them and doubts their existence. Douglas is characterized as having a sarcastic and opinionated personality, with wide knowledge of modern culture. However, as these characteristics are filtered through social media, they may not accurately describe the real Douglas, who may not even exist. Douglas often goes by the alter ego "Aubrey Duckworth"; she is essentially a distilled, exaggerated, more cynical version of Douglas. Camp A senior majoring in Math and Economics Ellen A sophomore majoring in Biology, Ellen is known for her dark, brooding nature, as well as her nerdy, even myopic interests. Critics have compared her character to "a mix of Wednesday Addams and Tina Belcher." She hails from St. Louis, where she worked on her high school's newspaper staff. Her role and identity as a writer go unmentioned in the beginning of the series, but come to play an important role when the motif of writing emerges in full force in the second season. Although generally of flat affect, she uses her occasional laughter to flirtatious effect. Her insecurities function as commentary on societal perceptions beauty and femininity, especially in institutions of higher learning. Heath Heath is a sophomore majoring in Religious Studies and English. His connection to most of the main cast is tangential and as of yet underdeveloped, but having grown up with Matt in Kentucky, they have somewhat of a special bond. Although he is initially introduced as the prototypical douche bag with the guitar, his character is soon redeemed as he and his music occasionally take on the role of the Greek chorus, providing latent commentary on the complex and discordant undertones of party scenes. As he and Matt reminisce over their years spent in the Commonwealth and try to sort through the baggage of former loves and expired friendships, the themes of identity formation and the search for belonging are given a chance to be tackled directly against the background of an ever-shifting world. Heath is also known for his awkward scene entrances, nervous glances at the camera, and his status as a neophyte coffee drinker. The careful viewer will also be able to spot Heath, in either purple or gold track shorts, running in the background of a scene at least once in every episode. The possible metaphorical implications of his obsessive long-distance running routine are not yet apparent (but it is most likely just a subliminal reminder to the viewer that exercise is an important part of a healthy, balanced life). Laury A senior majoring in Anthropology who plays a minor role in the show as a former love interest of both Will and Matt. She also serves to deliver the show's commentary on hyper-racial sensitivities found in the student body at elite collegiate institutions. Guest Appearances Sammy Luke Nick Karissa